Air distributor



Sept. 2z, 1925.- 1,554,914

E. H. GUTHIER AIR DISTRIBUTOR l Filed Jan. 12, 1925 z'sheets-sheat 1 u u u u u u u u u uu Sept. 22, 1925.- l E. H. GUTHIER AIR DIS TRIBUTOR Filed Jan. 12, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 22p, 1925.

UNITED STAT-13s `1,554,914 MTENT oFFlcE.

ERVIN n; GUTHIER, or BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

AIB. DISTRIBUTOR.

Application led January To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, ERVIN H. GUTH1ER,a citizen of the United States, residing. at Berkeley, county of Alameda, and State, of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Air Distributors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to'an air distributing device for dehydrators and the like.

Despite the general success that has attended the dehydration of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and miscellaneous products, considerable trouble 'has been experienced in securing uniform drying among the several traysl and devices commonly used to support the products heilig dried in the drying chambers. Non-uniformity in the drying of the productrepresents'an appreciable economic loss in one or all of the following cases:

1. The material on some trays or portions of trays may become overdried or their quality inj Y red before the remaining material is sufficient-ly dry. i

2. If all the material 'in a regular charge lbe left in the dehydrator'or drying cham' bers until all slowly drying lportions arev completely dried, the averagedrying time i 'culated by means of a blower or like device will be materially increased, resulting in reduced daily capacity andincreased cost of operation per unit of product. i

3. Products dried below the desired moisture content represent a loss in yield.

4. Uneven drying makes it difficult for an operator of a dehydrator to determine when `a given charge should be removed.

All the above-mentioned diiiiculties are the direct result of unequal distribution of the heated air which is dehydrator.

The object of the present invention is to provide an air distributing device whereby a current of warm dry air delivered or `cirpassed through the may be equally and uniformly distributed amon the several trays held in the drying chamer of a dehydrator; to provide an air distributing device of this character which may be quickly and readily distributed when occasion may demand, and further, to 'provide an air distributing device which may be readily applied to practically any dehydrator in use whether of the tunnel type or otherwise.

One form which my invention may assume is exemplified in the following description ving the air in. circulation, and means are 12, 1925. Serial No. 1,868.

and illustrated in the accompanying draw-l ings, in .which- Fig. 1 1s la plan view of a compartment` `.typeof dehydrator showing the application view also. disclosing two of the vertical plates whereby horizontal distribution of the air is obtained.

,5 is a plan View of a modified form of the air distributing device.

Fig. 6 is an end view thereof.

Referring to the drawings in/detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, vA indicates in general a dehydrator which is known as of a compartment type. Two tunnels are employed as indicated at B and C, means are employed for heating the air as shown at D, means in the form of a blower indicated at E is employed for the purpose of maintainemployed for maintaining a uniform and equally distributed flow of vair through the tunnels, the means employed being adistributing device generally indicated at .F and a second distributing device generally indicated at G.

. The tunnels are provided with side doors i-0 tion and particular reference will therefore be made to Figs. 3 and .4. The airdistributing device consists of a casing constructed of sheet metal or the like, which' consists of side sections 2 and top and bottom sections 105 3 and 4. These sections are flared as shown and a general pyramidically-shaped casing is thus obtained. The smaller end indicated at 5 is connected with the blower E through means of a pipe 6, and the largerforms the main feature of the present invenm0 end indicated at 7 may be directly connected with the mouth of the tunnel B.

For the purpose of maintaining a uniform current of air through the tunnel B, both in a vertical and in a horizontal direction, a plurality` of horizontally disposed distributlng plates-8 are employed. These plates are pivotally sup `orted at their forward ends on rods A9, vv ich are secured between the t ends of the horizontally. disposed distribut,

side Walls 2 of the casing. The opposite ends are alsosecured to ro s indicated at 10, but these rods extend through slots ,11 formed in the side walls of the casing and they are threaded and provided with nuts 11. This method of supporting the inner i ing plates permits vertical adjustment thereof and the air dow may thus be equally distributed between the plates 8 on a vertical plane. By again referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it will he noted that each horizontally disposed plate 8 carries a pair of vertically disposed plates or vanes 12; These plates are pivotally secured upon rods 13 at their inner ends and their outer ends are thus free to swing. Their angular position may vthus be changed and as a series of perforatiofns 14 are formed'in 'each horizontal plate 8, it is possible to swing the vertical plates 12 about theirpivots 13, so that any7 angular osition desired may be assumed an the ree or swinging ends may 'theny be secured against further movement by inserting pins 15 or similar devices through the perforated portion 111..

The vertical platesy or vanes 12 serve the function of distributing the air horizontally,

i and means are thusv rovided for distributing the air stream oth horizontally and vertically and a uniform flow of air is thus obtained in the tunnel B; thus exposing all :trays and the products supported thereby to the same air velocity and tem erature with a' ',larty resides in the fact that the casing G is vtion of distributin throughout the tunne, and veach horizontal i provided with horizontally disposed plates, such as indicated `at 17,-whichserve the uncf the air vertically plate is in turn provided with vertical lates 18 pivotally sup orted as at .19;

ese plates are ada te to `swing about their pivots 19 and ey are secured when is casing isy adjusted by inserting pins in the perfora-4 tions 20. (See Fig. 5.)

The air discharging from the tunnel B would have a tendency to follow the outer periphery of the casing G and most of the air would thus enter the tunnel C at one side thereof. This is, however, prevented by employing the plates 18. These are turned or swung to a. osition such as shown in Fig. 5 and they t' us permit a portion of the air stream to lflow through the casing G, between the plates 17, in the direc tion of arrow c and the remaining portion oi air to flow in the direction of arrow (i. Equal distribution is thus obtained both horizontally and vertically and the same results are obtained as in the case of the distributor generally indicated at F.

The casing G may be provided with one or more/sliding doors, as indicated at 21 22, and these may be opened during the operation oi2 the dehydrator to admit fresh and to discharge a certain proportion of the moist air, as desired. This feature, however., forms no part of the present invention but is merely mentioned.

From the foregoing it can be seen thatby i,

providing air distributing devices as shown at F and Gr, it is possible to maintain a uniform lowand equal distribution of the air both horizontally and vertically and that this distribution is maintained in both the .tunnels B and C. A uniform exposure of the product being dried is thus obtained and the economic losses caused by variation in air velocity and temperature arethus practically eliminated.

While certain features of the present invention are more orl less specifically illustrated, I wish it understood that various chan es in form land proportion may be resorte to within the scope of the appended claims. lsimilarly wish it understood that thel materials and finish of the several parts emdployed may be such as the experience and ju gmentl of the manufacturer may dictate or-various uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what `I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A device of 'the character described `comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet opening formed therein, a plurality of horizontally interspaced plates disposed within the casing, an a pluralit of vertically disposed p ates on each ofy the horizontal plates.

2. A device of the character described comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet openin formed therein, a plurality of horizonte y interspaced plates disposed within the casing, a ivotal su port for one end ofeach plate, an a verticali support forthe other end of 'each late.4 A device of the character eseribed y adjustable..

- vertical plate which y-comprising a pyramidicallysshaped casing comprising a casing having an inletand an, outlet opening formed therein, a plurality of horizontally interspaced plates disposed Within the casing, a pivotalsupport tor one end 'of each plate, a vertically adjustable support for the other end ot each plate, and a plurality et vertically disposed plates on each of the horizontal plates. y

Il. A device ot the character described comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet opening formed therein, a plurality of horizontally interspaced plates disposed Within the casing, a plurality of vertically disposed'plates on each of the horizontal plates, a pivotal support for one end of each ermits a swinging movement of the opposite end of each vertical plate, and adjustable means for securing the swinging ends against movement.

5. A device of the character described havingan inlet opening formed at its small` est end and an. outlet at its'largest end, a plurality of horizontally interspaced plates disposed Within the Casin a pivotal .sup-l port for that end of eac -plate which -positioned adjacent the' discharge openin a' rod secured to the opposite end of e'acgli et plate, said small end et each casing losing slotted to permit the rodsto project there- `through, and means for securing the rods in' the slotted casing to permit vertical adjust au'I ment of the. plates about their opposite port tor that end of each lplate which is positioned adjacent; the discharge opening, p

a rod secured tothe opposite end ofl each plate, said small end of each casing being slotted to permit the rods to projecttherethrough, means for securing the rods in the slotted casing to permit vertical adjust- .ment of/ the plates labout their vopposite pivotal supports, a plurality of vertically disposed plates carried by each horizontal plate, a'pivotal support for one end of each vertical plate, and adjustable means yfor securing the opposite-"end of each vertical plate. l Y

" "Env-1N r1.` eurams. 

